This story was passed to me today by Matt Shipman, who writes about research on The Abstract.
An excerpt:
[Right - Comparison of two road signs, Highway Gothic on the left, Clearview on the right, 2007. Credit: Wikimedia Commons - click on link to see large]
The previous road sign font, Highway Gothic, was hard to read because of very small counter spaces, or the enclosed shapes of a letterform (the inside of an “O” or “P”). Clearview, with larger enclosed shapes, taller lowercase letters and better letterspacing, is easier to read from a distance and at night.
[Left - Clearview letterforms. Credit: Wikimedia Commons - click on link to see large]
Clearview improved drivers’ reading accuracy, reaction time, and recognition distance – all with a few small tweaks to the design. In this case, proper type is crucial for public health and safety.”
Really, it is worth reading the whole article. Enjoy!
Similar Posts (auto-generated):
- Infovis in the Debates
- Interface aid for hyper-milers
- Google PowerMeter
- The VP Debates: An Adventure in Clutter
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
Neat SciAm Blog Post on InfoVis: This story was passed to me today by Matt Shipman, who… http://goo.gl/fb/hRYJb
The new UI for Windows Phone 7 (called Metro) was inspired by signage. Clear typography, simple icons. I like it quite a bit. More information at http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=189338 (pdf).